Door-securer.



H. NOTTHOFP. DOOR SEOURER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.15, 19'04 Witnesses 7 enr'No PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

Inventor I I t Httomegs UNITED STATES- Patented May 23, 1905.

PATE T ()FFIcE.

v DOORLSECURER.

srncrrrcnrron arming ia of Letters Patent No. 790,653, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed December 15, 1904. Serial 236,993.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY N OTTHOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Monica, in the county of Los Angelesand State of California, have invented a new and useful Door-Securer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door-securing means supplemental to the usual locks, and is designed to provide an improved device of this character capable of being readily engaged with any ordinary door to prevent unauthorized opening thereof.

Another object of the invention is toembody the same in convenient and effective form capable of being folded into compact condition for convenience in transportation and storage and .to provide for whatever adjustment may be required to lit the device to different doors.

The present embodiment of the invention is in the nature of a jointed prop to engage between the floor and the door; and it is an important object of the invention to effect a locking of the joint, so as to prevent un'au-.

thorized breaking thereof and displacement of the device by means introduced through the transom-opening over the door.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the device of the present invention engaged with the knobspindle of a door. Fig: 2 is an elevation showing the device engaged with a lock-case upon a door. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a door-securing prop embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. at is a detail elevation of the foot-and intermediate sections folded. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the head-section.

As hereinbefore indicated, the device of the present invention is in the nature of a prop and includes at least three sections designated 1, 2, and 3, of which the lower or foot section 1 is provided with a spur L and is connected by a hinge-joint with the intermediate section 2, as will be hereinafter described. The top section 3 is provided with a crosshead 5, which has a transverse seat or depression 6 in the top thereof, while the lower end portion of the section 3 is tubular and threaded to form a threaded socket 7. The upper end portion 8 of the intermediate section 2 is reduced to a cylindrical form and threaded to detachably lit the threaded socket 7, whereby the sections 2 and 3 may be extended and drawn together to vary the length of the prop according to the requirements of its application.

I It is proposed to have the hinge-joint between the sections 1 and 2 breaktoward what will be termed the rear of the device, and to accomplish this object the adjacent ends of the sections are provided with corresponding substantially circular ears or hinge-knuckles 9 and 10, which project beyond their ends and at their front sides and are centrally connected by a suitable pivot-pin 11, whereby the rear portions of the adjacent ends of the sections constitute shoulders-which abut in the alined positions of the sections 1 and 2, thereby to prevent breaking of the joint in a forward direction.

To prevent accidental and unauthorized breaking of the joint, the hinge members or knuckles are provided with corresponding perforations 12 and 13, which come into registration when the sections 1 and 2 are alined, there being a pin or key 14 capable of detachable engagement with the perforations, so as to effectually lock the hinge-joint. There is a flexible connection 15 to attach the pin or key 14: to one of the adjacent sections, so as prevent loss of the pin.

7 When not in use, as shown in Fig. 4:, the head-section 3 is unscrewed from the intermediate section 2, and the sections 1 and 2 are folded alongside one another, and as the three sections are substantially equal in length they may be folded into compact form for convenieliiice in carrying in a trunk, satchel, or the In using the device the head-section 3 is fitted to the intermediate section 2, and the head 5 is engaged beneath the lock-case 16 of the door 17, as shown in Fig. 2, the spur4tof the foot-section being engaged with the floor with the entire device in the dotted-line position, with the hinge-joint broken, and then the joint is pushed forward by hand or by foot until the inner ends of the sections 1 and 2 abut, whereupon thelocking-pin 14is passed through the perforations 12 and 13 of the hinge or knuckle members, thereby locking the joint against being broken by means introduced through the transom-opening over the door. To release the fastener, the pin is removed, and the hinge-joint is broken, so as to permit of the head 5 being withdrawn from the lock-case, whereupon the entire device may be removed, and the door is free to be opened in the usual manner.

When the lock is mortised within the door, as shown in Fig. 1, the head 5 of the fastener is engaged with the knob-spindle 18, with said spindle received Within the seat 6 in the top of the head. Either of these arrangements is effective to lock and secure the door against unauthorized opening, even though the lock should be picked or broken.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present device is entirely complete in itself and may be applied to any door without altering or damaging the same and operates to effectually secure the door against unauthorized opening. \Vhen not in use, the device may be folded into compact form and requires the assemblage of the members 2 and 3 in order to place the device in condition for use.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A jointed door-securing prop having a foot, a head and an intermediate section, one of the terminal members having ahinge connection with the intermediate section, and the other terminal member being adjustable longitudinally upon said intermediate section.

2. A jointed door-securing prop having a foot, a head and an intermediate section, one

of the terminal members being hinged to the intermediate section and the other terminal member being detachable from and also adjustable longitudinally upon said intermediate section.

3. A jointed door-securing prop having a foot, a head and an intermediate section, one of the terminal members being hinged to the intermediate section and the other terminal member having a detachable and adjustable threaded connection with said intermediate section.

4:. A door-securing prop having a head, a foot, and a hinge-joint connecting the same, said joint including a pair of pivotally-connected knuckles with the adjacent ends of the hinge members disposed to abut when the members are longitudinally alined to prevent breaking of the joint in one direction, said knuckles being provided with perforations disposed for alinement in substantial parallelism with the axis of the joint when the prop is set up, and a locking-pin having a loose connection with one of the members and capable of being introduced through the alined perforations to lock the joint against breaking in the opposite direction.

5. A door-securing prop comprising a foot having a spur, a top member having a head at its upper end and a threaded socket at its lower end, an intermediate section having a threaded upper end for adjustable and detachable engagement with the threaded socket, the adjacent ends of the foot and intermediate section having a pair of knuckles which are pivotally connected at one side of the longitudinal axis of the prop and provided with perforations which register when said sections are in alinement, and a locking-pin capable of detachable engagement with the perforations to prevent breaking of the hinge-joint.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY NOTTHOF F.

Witnesses:

C. H. VVIIAPLER,

H. J. ENenLBnnoHT. 

